News Release

5465 Mark Dabling Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80918-3842 http://www.usabasketball.com FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / May 10, 2005 For further information contact Craig Miller, Caroline Williams, or Kate Lakin at USA (719) 590-4800. *This release is also available on USA Basketball's World Wide Web homepage - http://www.usabasketball.com.

An Abundance Of Talent To Be Featured At May 19-22 USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials

-- Trials To Determine Finalists For 2005 USA U19 World Championship And World University Games Teams --

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 10, 2005) – With 57 top American players accepting invitations to the 2005 USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials, there will be no shortage of talent or players with USA Basketball experience. The 2005 USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials are set to take place May 19-22 at the U.S. Olympic Training in Colorado Springs, Colo. Invitations to the Trials were issued by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee, chaired by Sue Donohoe, NCAA vice-president for Division I women's basketball. Following the four-day Trials the Collegiate Committee will 2005 USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials announce finalists for the 12-member 2005 USA Women’s U19 World Championship Team (formerly known as the Junior World Dates: May 19-22, 2005 Championship Team) and the 12-member USA World University Site: U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado. Games Team. The 2005 USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials 2005 FIBA U19 World Championship Dates: July 15-24, 2005 begin Thursday, May 19, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. (all times MDT). Site: Hammamet and Tunis, Tunisia Sessions for the U19 team candidates will be held from 8:30-10:30 USA Coaching Staff: a.m. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Friday, May 20, and 10:00 a.m.-12:00 Head Coach: Gail Goestenkors, p.m. and 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. Trials sessions for the (N.C.) Assistant Coaches: Felisha Legette-Jack, Hofstra World University Games team candidates will be held 9:00-11:00 a.m. University (N.Y.), and , University of and 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 20, and from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. Mississippi. and 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 21. The Trials will conclude on 2005 World University Games Sunday, May 22 with a session from 8:00-10:00 a.m. Finalists for Dates: August 11-21, 2005 both the USA U19 and World University Games squads will be Site: Izmir, announced following the May 22 session. All Trials sessions will be USA Coaching Staff: Head Coach: Kathy Delaney-Smith, Harvard held in Sports Center II. University (Mass.). Of the expected 57 Trials participants, of which 37 boast of Assistant Coaches: , Louisiana prior USA Basketball experience, 33 are only eligible, because of age, State University, and Cathy Inglese, (Mass.). for selection to the USA World University Games Team; 13 trials participants who were born on or after Jan. 1, 1986 (19-years-old or younger) and have completed at least one year of college eligibility are eligible for selection to either the USA U19 or the USA World University Games teams; while the remaining 11 invitees who graduate from high school in 2005 and are born on or after Jan. 1, 1986, are eligible for only the USA U19 World Championship Team. Trials invitees eligible for only the World University Games Team include: (LSU / Baton Rouge, La.); (Duke / Dayton, Ohio); Kim Beck (George Washington / Fairburn, Ga.); (UCLA / Bakersfield, Calif.); Lindsay Bowen (Michigan State / Dansville, Mich.); Jazz Covington (Louisville / Adel, Ga.); (Duke / Washington, D.C.); (Ohio State / Columbus, Ohio); (Vanderbilt / Cincinnati, Ohio); (Temple / Tampa, Fla.); Megan Duffy (Notre Dame / Dayton, Ohio); (LSU / Miami, Fla.); Erin Grant (Texas Tech / Arlington, Texas); Tiffany Green (Old Dominion / Cheaspeake, Va.); Kiera Hardy (Nebraska / Kansas City, Mo.); Brandie Hoskins (Ohio State / Dayton, Ohio); (Texas / Dallas, Texas); Helen Johnson (Gulf Coast C.C. / Milwaukee, Wis.); (North Carolina / McConnells, S.C.); (North Carolina / Winston-Salem, N.C.); Shaquina Mosley (Central Arizona College / Lancaster, Calif.); Eshaya Murphy (USC / Van Nuys, Calif.): Shawntinice Polk (Arizona / Hanford, Calif.); (Rutgers / , Ill.); (Mississippi / Blue Mountain, Miss.); (UCLA / Los Angeles, Calif.): Leah Rush (Oklahoma / Amarillo, Texas); Liz Shimek (Michigan State / Empire, Mich.); Brooke Smith (Stanford / San Anselmo, Calif.); (Duke / Upper Marlboro, Md.); Tiffany Stansbury (North Carolina State / Philadelphia, Pa.); Emily Westerberg (Arizona State / Greenacres, Wash.); and (UCLA / Long Beach, Calif.). Accepting invites to the 2005 Trials and eligible for selection for either USA team are: Jolene Anderson (Wisconsin / Port Wing, WI); (Tennessee / Staten Island, N.Y.); (Rutgers / Paterson, N.J.); (LSU / Baton Rouge, La.); (Maryland / Willingboro, N.J.); (North Carolina / Riviera Beach, Fla.); Camille LeNoir (USC / Los Angeles, Calif.); Samantha Mahoney (Kentucky / West Bloomfield, Mich.); (UCLA / San Clemente, Calif.); (LSU / Jacksonville, Fla.); (North Carolina State / Roanoke, Va.); (Stanford / Poway, Calif.); and Sharnee’ Zoll (Virginia / Philadelphia, Pa.). Eligible for selection for only the USA U19 World Championship Team are: Erika Arriaran (Norco High School / Norco, Calif); Keshonda Carrier (LaGrange High School / Lake Charles, La.); (St. Johns College High School / Cheltenham, Md.); (South Charleston High School / St. Albans, W.V.); (Piedmont High School / Piedmont, Calif.); (Piedmont High School / Piedmont, Calif.); (Harrison High School / Harrison, Va.); Ashlee Trebilcock (Hart High School / Santa Clarita, Calif.); (Thunder Ridge High School / Highlands Ranch, Colo.); Earnesia Williams (Sapulpa High School / Sapulpa, Okla.); and (Seton Catholic High School / Mesa, Ariz.). Of the 37 players possessing prior USA Basketball experience, eight of the 12 members who made up the 2004 USA U19 World Championship Qualifying Team that captured gold are back, including -- Carson, Coleman, Larkins, Courtney Paris, Waner, Wiggins and Wirth. Of the eight, Courtney Paris is the leading scorer among the returners having averaged a team second best 15.8 ppg. and a team leading 9.0 rpg. Wiggins averaged 12.4 ppg. and 4.8 rpg.; Waner tossed in 12.0 ppg. and 3.8 assists; Larkins accounted for 9.2 ppg. and 6.0 rpg.; Carson scored 8.7 ppg.; Coleman added 8.2 ppg.; Arrian posted 7.4 ppg. and 4.2 apg.; and Wirth contributed 1.8 ppg. Additionally, Augustus, Pondexter and Polk were members of the 2003 USA World Championship For Young Women Team that finished 7-1 and captured the world title. Augustus started all eight games and averaged a team best 10.6 ppg. and 3.8 rpg., while shooting 59.1 percent from the field. Augustus was named the Most Valuable Player of the ‘03 FIBA World Championship For Young Women, and later was honored by USA Basketball as its 2003 Female Athlete of the Year. Polk accounted for 8.4 ppg. and 5.1 rpg. in 2003, while Pondexter started all eight games and recorded 5.3 ppg. and 1.0 apg. Currie and Pondexter were teammates on the 2001 Junior World Championship Team that finished 6-1 and won bronze. Pondexter averaged a team third best 11.0 ppg. and 2.6 rpg., while Currie averaged 3.2 ppg. and 2.2 rpg. Pondexter returned the following summer and played on the gold medal winning 2002 World Championship For Young Women Team, and averaged 8.8 ppg., 2.5 rpg., and a team leading 6.5 apg. Additional USA Basketball experience comes in the form of USA Basketball’s annual Women’s Youth Development Festival. 30 of the 57 Trials invitees have participated in the Youth Development Festival. Players from or committed to attend 32 colleges/universities are involved in the Trials, and a total of six 2005 All- Americans further underscore the strength of the USA candidates. Augustus, Currie and Davenport were all 2005 Associated Press (A.P.) All-American first team choices, while Wiggins earned second team accolades, and Latta and Jackson were third team selections. Additionally, Blue, Bowen, Duffy, Dupree, Fowles, Pondexter and Shimek collected A.P. All-American honorable mention honors. At the junior college/community college level, Mosley was named by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) as the 2005 Junior College / Community College Player of the Year, and Mosley and Johnson were named to the 2005 JC/CC WBCA All-America First Team. The Trials group also collected impressive conference honors. Currie earned ACC Player of the Year honors and Langhorne was the ACC Rookie of the Year; Dupree was the Player of the Year and Beck was the conference’s Rookie of the Year; Davenport was the Big Ten’s Player of the Year and Anderson was Freshman of the Year; Wiggins swept the Pacific 10 Conference honors for Player and Freshman of the Year; Augustus was the SEC Player of the Year. At the high school level, Courtney Paris was named the 2005 USA Today Player of the Year and was honored as the Naismith Trophy Female High School Player of the Year, while Parade Magazine and the WBCA selected Arriaran as their Player of the Year, and Gatorade tagged Waner as its National Player of the Year.

2005 FIBA U19 World Championship Duke University (N.C.) head coach Gail Goestenkors has been selected to lead the 2005 USA Basketball Women’s U19 World Championship Team, and will be assisted by ’s (N.Y.) Felisha Legette-Jack and the University of Mississippi’s Carol Ross. Formerly known as the Women’s Junior World Championship Team, the USA Women’s U19 World Championship Team secured its 2005 tournament berth after the 2004 USA team earned a gold medal at the FIBA Americas Women’s Junior World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. The U.S. finished a perfect 5-0 and outscored its opponents by a remarkable 81 ppg, while averaging 123 ppg. Featuring 12 teams, the 2005 FIBA Women’s U19 World Championship is scheduled to run July 15-24 in Hammamet and Tunis, Tunisia. To be eligible for the 2005 team, an athlete must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1986 (19-years-old or younger). Held every four years since 1985, the U.S. won bronze at the last FIBA Women’s Junior World Championship in Brno, in 2001, and claimed the gold in 1997 in Brazil .

2005 World University Games Kathy Delaney-Smith of Harvard University (Mass.) has been named head coach of the 2005 USA Basketball Women’s World University Games Team, and Pokey Chatman from Louisiana State University and Cathy Inglese of Boston College (Mass.) have been named as assistant coaches. The World University Games, held every two years and organized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), is a multi-sport competition open to men and women between the ages of 17 and 28 (born between January 1, 1977 and December 31, 1987), who are, or have been within the past year, a student at a college or university. The 2005 World University Games will be held Aug. 11-21 in Imzir, Turkey. A total of 21 teams will compete in the 2005 Women’s World University Games. The teams have been divided into four preliminary pools, three pools consisting of five teams and one pool consisting of six teams. The U.S. is in Pool B with China, Czech Republic, , and South Africa. The USA women have enjoyed outstanding success in the World University Games and have earned 12 medals in 13 appearances, including five golds, six silvers and one bronze medal, and have compiled an overall record of 75-15 (.833 winning percentage) since beginning World University Games play in 1973. USA Basketball last sent a squad to the 2001 World University Games, where the U.S. ran off to a 7-1 record and clinched the gold medal in Beijing, China. USA Basketball did not send a team to the last World University Games in 2003.

USA Basketball Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the . As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions. Serving since January 2001 as USA Basketball's Executive Director is Jim Tooley. Tooley, who has been with USA Basketball since 1993, is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization’s day-to-day operations and business operations. USA Basketball is an organization made up of associations. Current USA Basketball active members include the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU); Continental Basketball Association (CBA); National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC); National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA); National Basketball Association (NBA); National Basketball Development League (NBDL); National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS); National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA); National Pro-Am City League Association (NPACLA); National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA); United States Armed Forces; USA Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF); Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA); and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). These 15 member organizations have representation on USA Basketball's Board of Directors and various committees, and ultimately determine how USA Basketball operates. During the 2001-2004 quadrennium, over 950 men and women participated in USA Basketball, including the now annual USA Basketball men’s and women’s Youth Development Festivals, USA Basketball Trials, and USA Basketball teams. Competing in 20 major international events between 2001-2004, the USA won medals an astounding 17 times, including gold or top finishes 12 times, silver once and bronze medals four times, and USA Basketball teams compiled a 163-22 win-loss record for an 88.1 winning percentage during the 2001-2004 quadrennium. The competitions in which USA teams regularly compete include the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games, World University Games, World Championship for Young Men/Women, Junior World Championships, Hoop Summit and Youth Development Festivals. USA Basketball also sanctions U.S. basketball team tours of foreign countries and foreign basketball team tours of the U.S., as well as oversees the certification of FIBA and USA Basketball officials and the assignment of those officials to international competitions. 2005 USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials Roster

NAME POS HGT WGT DOB YOG HIGH SCHOOL or COLLEGE / HOMETOWN @Jolene Anderson G 5-8 175 07/22/86 2008 Wisconsin / Port Wing, WI @Nicky Anosike G 6-3 190 02/27/86 2008 Tennessee / Staten Island, NY +Erika Arriaran G 5-10 165 11/14/86 2005 Norco / #Texas / Norco, CA *Seimone Augustus G/F 6-1 170 04/30/84 2006 LSU / Baton Rouge, LA *Alison Bales C 6-7 225 04/04/85 2006 Duke / Dayton, OH *Kim Beck G 5-8 125 12/27/85 2008 George Washington / Fairburn, GA *Nikki Blue G 5-7 150 03/29/84 2006 UCLA / Bakersfield, CA *Lindsay Bowen G 5-7 150 10/25/83 2006 Michigan State / Dansville, MI &+Keshonda Carrier C 6-7 240 02/20/87 2005 LaGrange / #Auburn / Lake Charles, LA @Essence Carson G 6-0 155 07/28/86 2008 Rutgers / Paterson, NJ @Quianna Chaney G 5-11 171 04/14/86 2008 LSU / Baton Rouge, LA +Marissa Coleman G/F 6-1 175 01/04/87 2005 St. Johns College H.S./#Maryland/Cheltenham, MD *Jazz Covington F/C 6-2 185 04/13/85 2006 Louisville / Adel, GA *Monique Currie G/F 6-0 170 02/25/83 2006 Duke / Washington, DC *Jessica Davenport C 6-5 191 06/24/85 2007 Ohio State / Columbus, OH %*Dee Davis G 5-7 11/08/84 2007 Vanderbilt / Cincinnati, OH *Candice Dupree C 6-2 165 08/16/84 2006 Temple / Tampa, FL *Megan Duffy G 5-7 135 07/13/84 2006 Notre Dame / Dayton, OH *Sylvia Fowles C 6-5 200 10/06/85 2008 LSU / Miami, FL *Erin Grant G 5-8 125 06/13/84 2006 Texas Tech / Arlington, TX %*Tiffany Green F 6-2 197 01/16/85 2008 Old Dominion / Cheaspeake, VA *Kiera Hardy G 5-6 140 06/22/85 2007 Nebraska / Kansas City, MO *Brandie Hoskins G/F 5-9 174 05/11/85 2007 Ohio State / Dayton, OH *Tiffany Jackson F 6-3 175 04/26/85 2007 Texas / Dallas, TX *Helen Johnson G 5-9 165 12/11/84 2006 Gulf Coast C.C. / Milwaukee, WI @Crystal Langhorne F/C 6-2 195 10/27/86 2008 Maryland / Willingboro, NJ @Erlana Larkins F/C 6-2 195 04/02/86 2008 North Carolina / Riviera Beach, FL *Ivory Latta G 5-6 130 09/25/84 2007 North Carolina / McConnells, SC *Camille Little F 6-1 162 01/18/85 2007 North Carolina / Winston-Salem, NC @Camille LeNoir G 5-6 09/01/86 2008 USC / Los Angeles, CA @Samantha Mahoney G/F 5-8 168 05/20/86 2008 Kentucky / West Bloomfield, MI +Renee Montgomery G 5-8 130 12/01/86 2005 South Charleston / #Connecticut / St. Albans, WV *Shaquina Mosley G 5-6 135 02/23/85 2005 Central Arizona College / #Kansas / Lancaster, CA *Eshaya Murphy G/F 5-11 165 04/15/85 2008 USC / Van Nuys, CA +Ashley Paris F 6-2 185 09/21/87 2005 Piedmont / #Oklahoma / Piedmont, CA +Courtney Paris C 6-3 250 09/21/87 2005 Piedmont / #Oklahoma / Piedmont, CA @Lindsey Pluimer G/F 6-3 160 07/03/86 2008 UCLA / San Clemente, CA *Shawntinice Polk C 6-4 235 03/27/83 2006 Arizona / Hanford, CA *Cappie Pondexter G 5-9 160 01/07/83 2006 Rutgers / Chicago, IL *Armintie Price G 5-9 140 04/03/85 2007 Mississippi / Blue Mountain, MS *Noelle Quinn G 6-0 175 01/03/85 2007 UCLA / Los Angeles, CA *Leah Rush F 6-1 175 10/25/84 2007 Oklahoma / Amarillo, TX *Liz Shimek F 6-1 210 05/25/84 2006 Michigan State / Empire, MI *Brooke Smith F/C 6-3 190 04/30/84 2006 Stanford / San Anselmo, CA *Wanisha Smith G 5-11 167 07/09/85 2008 Duke / Upper Marlboro, MD *Tiffany Stansbury F/C 6-3 180 01/16/83 2006 North Carolina State / Philadelphia, PA +Kristi Toliver G 5-8 125 01/27/87 2005 Harrison / #Maryland / Harrison, VA +Ashlee Trebilcock G 5-9 155 02/01/87 2005 Hart / #UCLA / Santa Clarita, CA +Abigail Waner G 5-11 155 10/31/86 2005 Thunder Ridge / #Duke / Highlands Ranch, CO %*Emily Westerberg F 6-1 155 03/12/85 2007 Arizona State / Greenacres, WA @Erica White G 5-5 135 08/26/86 2008 LSU / Jacksonville, FL @Khadijah Whittington F/C 6-0 180 08/05/86 2008 North Carolina State / Roanoke, VA %@Candice Wiggins G 5-10 140 02/14/87 2008 Stanford / Poway, CA +Earnesia Williams F 6-0 159 04/26/87 2005 Sapulpa / #Texas / Sapulpa, OK *Lisa Willis G 5-11 170 06/13/84 2006 UCLA / Long Beach, CA +Christina Wirth F 6-1 175 04/18/87 2005 Seton Catholic / #Vanderbilt / Mesa, AZ @Sharnee’ Zoll G 5-7 140 07/11/86 2008 Virginia / Philadelphia, PA

NOTES: @ Player is eligible for either the USA U19 World Championship Team or USA World University Games Team * Player is only eligible for the USA World University Games Team + Player is only eligible for the USA U19 World Championship Team % Player has requested a medical waiver & Player has requested a waiver because of graduation # Indicates the university the player has committed to attend in 2005-06

2005 USA Basketball Women’s National Team Trials Schedule

2005 USA Women’s National Team Trials May 19 Trials Session #1 5:30- 7:30 p.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado May 20 U19 Trials Session #2 8:30-10:30 a.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado WUG Trials Session #2 9:00-11:00 a.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado May 20 U19 Trials Session #3 4:30- 6:30 p.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado WUG Trials Session #3 5:30- 7:30 p.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado May 21 WUG Trials Session #4 8:30-10:30 a.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado U19 Trials Session #4 10:00-12:00 p.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado May 21 WUG Trials Session #5 4:30- 6:30 p.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado U19 Trials Session #5 5:30- 7:30 p.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado May 22 Trials Session #6 8:00-10:00 a.m. U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado May 22 Announcement of finalists for teams

All Trials sessions will take place at Sports Center II, U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado

2005 USA U19 World Championship Team Schedule June 3-12 Training San Diego, California June 7-12 USA Basketball International Invitational San Diego, California (USA, Canada, China and Russia) June 28-July 2 Training U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado July 2-6 Training Washington, D.C. July 7-10 Training / Exhibition Games Hungary July 11-14 Training Tunis, Tunisia July 15-24 FIBA U19 World Championship Hammamet and Tunis, Tunisia

2005 World University Games Team Schedule July 28-Aug. 5 Training U.S. Olympic Training Center, Colorado Springs, Colorado August 6-10 Training Izmir, Turkey August 11-21 World University Games Izmir, Turkey

NOTE: All times listed are local.